Blogs from Magallanes, Chile, South America

I feel better today but not 100%. I join our group on a hike to a waterfall. We have a buffet breakfast in the hotel then head out for our hike. We try to drive to the trail head but it is so windy the rangers have closed the road to the trail head. Our bus parks and we decide to walk to the trail head. It is an easy (except for the wind) slight uphill hike. The waterfall is beautiful. There is a lot of water in the park, glaciers, rivers and lakes. There is no swimming allowed in the park, which is not a problem because it is summer now and too cold to swim. We were given box lunches and after our morning hike our bus takes us back to our hotel. Those ... read more

We premedicated with ibuprofen Wed night after the big hike, so we were actually not too sore on Thurs. We weren't sure how we'd feel though, so we had booked a horseback trail ride. It left at 9:15 am. We didn't know at the time of booking, but it left from the same place that we started the big Mirador hike. So we got to make that drive twice, but this time we got to sleep in an extra hour. We left the Airbnb at 7am, all packed up again, and started back on the same long empty drive to the park. We made pretty good time and didn't have long to wait when we got to the Hotel Las Torres. Our horseback tour had a few other people: an old Australian woman who thought this ... read more

We are going to Patagonia! John and I do a lot of trips to try to get Delta credit for diamond status (most requiring business class fares), but this might be our last because of some changes Delta is making. We are going out with a bang! Jamison is a great sport and has joined on all of our recent adventures (and just made platinum status himself!) Business class flights to Chile from Seattle are pretty cheap in Nov-Dec each year. This is our second year. Last year we just saw Santiago (capital of Chile) and went to the coast for a few days. This time we are going to Patagonia! It's the Sourhern-most part of South America (the bottom 1/3rd) and has a Chilean side and an Argentinian side. We read that flying within the ... read more

“If there is a heaven on Earth, this is it”, those were actually the words came out of my mouth when I stood in front of Torres del Paine! I was awed! Speechless! Three jagged edges crowned the snow covered mountain peaks and silently displayed their brilliant beauty under a blue canopy of sky. Waterfalls flowing from the mountain snow emptied into a small river. The light emerald colour water of the river is flowing like a dancing little girl. Not a soul was near by except us. The Nature has given it’s all and the beauty of the Nature is silently observed by Mother Nature herself! I am from Alberta, and I grew up with the beauty of the Rockies in my later part of life. Indeed, Rockies has opened up to me in hundred ... read more

Le voyage tire sur sa dernière partie : l'extrême sud du continent, avec notamment les Torres del Paine, la Terre de Feu et le détroit de Magellan, à quelques encablures seulement du pôle sud. Difficile pour moi de rester insensible à l'appel de ces noms mythiques entendus depuis le collège. Mais il nous faut avant tout regagner le Chili et retraverser une dernière fois la frontière. 300km à peine de route: ca ne devrait pas être une journée trop compliquée. Alors qu'Alexis s'efforce tant bien que mal de rattraper ses bêtises à coups de bouquets de roses, on prend la route pour pouvoir traverser la frontière et commencer l'ascension des Torres del Paine dès le lendemain. La Patagonie nous avait habitué à des routes difficiles, mais là la piste est vraiment détestable: trous, grosses pierres, bosses... ... read more